The present invention relates to a hearing aid and, more particularly, to a remotely controllable hearing aid.
Remotely controlled electronic apparatuses that are remotely controlled by a remote controller capable of transmitting infrared control signals or radiowave control signals have generally been known. Such a control system employing a remote controller is effectively applicable to the remote control of a hearing aid.
When an examiner, such as a doctor, determines an appropriate volume of sounds for the user of a hearing aid, the examiner examines the hearing acuity of the user, i.e., a hearing-impaired person, and calculates an appropriate volume level, i.e., a standard volume level, for a hearing aid to be used by the user on the basis of the results of the examination, makes the user put on the hearing aid, adjusts the volume of sounds generated by the hearing aid with reference to the calculated standard volume level, and determines a sound volume most agreeable to the user on the basis of the opinion of the user. If the hearing aid can be controlled by a remote controller, the examiner will be able to adjust the volume of sounds generated by the hearing aid very easily. However, even if the hearing aid can be controlled by the remote controller, the examiner operating the remote controller is unable to hear the sounds generated by the hearing aid and hence the sound volume controlling operation is dependent only on the opinion of the user. If the user of the hearing aid is an infant, who, in most cases, is incapable of accurately deciding a necessary sound volume, it is very difficult for the examiner to acquire accurate information for determining an appropriate sound volume and to adjust the sound volume to the necessary sound volume. A sound volume adjusting operation for adjusting the sound volume to a specified sound volume after temporarily changing the specified sound volume must be carried out only on the basis of the opinion of the user and the examiner is unable to know accurately if the sound volume has been adjusted to the specified sound volume.
Naturally, the hearing aid must be adjusted for frequency characteristics appropriate to the user and maximum output sound pressure level as well as for sound volume, and difficulties in adjusting the hearing aid for frequency characteristics and maximum output sound pressure level are the same as those in adjusting sound volume. Although the remote controller facilitates level adjusting operations, the examiner is unable to determine quantitatively the levels, such as maximum output sound pressure level and output sound pressure level at a specified frequency, and it is difficult for the examiner to decide if the levels has correctly been adjusted.